We have another guest post to share with everyone, our guest this time is Ariana of Crafting Happiness and Magic Yarn Pixels.

What first got you into crochet? Tell us your crafting journey so far!

I’ve been creative all my life. I remember watching my grandmother make Irish lace doilies and tablecloths for our home and trying my hand at crocheting flowers using her hooks. 

But she didn’t just teach me to crochet, she also showed me how to grow my own food, preserve it, cook, sew, and embroider, and from her, I learned the skills of homesteading and gift-giving.

Years later, I was left with a bunch of knitted clothes from the dolls I used as Halloween decorations, and I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. So I decided to reuse the yarn and make a granny square blanket. I was so proud of it and showed it to everyone.

A family member saw it and asked me to make her a baby blanket for her newborn. She loved my design and shared it on social media. Everyone wanted one and that was the start of my career as a crochet designer. I started sharing my patterns online and people loved them and wanted to buy them.

So I opened my first Etsy store and a YouTube channel to show them how to crochet some of the stitches and crochet techniques I used. Over the years, I became a full-time crochet designer and in time, I created a complete ecosystem for crocheters to learn, create, and be inspired.

Today I wear many hats. I teach crochet on my YouTube channel, I design crochet patterns for themed nurseries and the modern home, and I create corner-to-corner crochet designs for blankets. I also found a passion in curating crochet patterns to inspire my fellow crocheters to try something new and also to shine a light on the many talented crochet designers out there.

Are there certain projects/techniques that you’re drawn to more? Are there any techniques/projects you avoid? 

I find the repeating patterns in crochet blankets soothing, and I am drawn to them whenever I need a moment of calm. The mathematics of designing a pattern from scratch is something I enjoy.

However, I feel most creative when designing an amigurumi piece. I can play with different shapes and sizes and create something unique using the same crochet stitches.

I love intricate stitches and patterns with multiple pieces that need to come together just right. However, I stay away from them when designing a new pattern I plan to sell. 

I try to maintain a balance between how unique and interesting a design is and how easy it is to replicate. After all, what’s the point of creating a pattern that requires time and specific skills to complete if only a few can finish it?

Tell us a bit about your design/pattern writing process? What inspires you? 

My design process is chaotic and oftentimes I work on multiple projects. Designing an animal blanket or a lovey involves making and unraveling the pieces multiple times because they don’t look like I imagine them in my mind or they are too complicated. I leave them for a few days, work on something else, and return with a clear mind to finish them.

I always work on a new blanket or stitch design in the evening when I need to wind down and relax with a good movie. During the day, I need quiet time so I can focus on the math required for the amigurumi pieces.

I am constantly pulled between being creative, making the pieces as realistic as possible, and keeping the design simple and accessible to crocheters of all levels. I believe this is one of the reasons why my Etsy shop is so successful. My patterns can be recreated by most crocheters, from any part of the world, using any regular yarn such as acrylic double knit or aran yarns.

My inspiration comes from nature and also from my customers. I often get requests for new designs and from there, inspiration sparks. When I design a new animal blanket or lovey, I study the real-life animal, their coat texture, the shapes, and then I try to replicate it in the simplest way possible.

You crochet both C2C and amigurumi, if you had to pick a favorite technique, which would it be? 

I don’t believe it should be one or the other. I love both for the same reasons. 

Amigurumi is like 3D printing, while C2C crochet is like painting by numbers. They are both creative and customizable and both can be as simple or complex as you like.

I like switching between the two techniques depending on my mood and oftentimes I take a break from amigurumi by working on a c2c blanket, or vice versa.

I can honestly say, there isn’t one crochet technique I dislike, I just wish I had more hours in the day to dedicate to them.

What’s your current work in progress?

I have so many projects on the go! I’m currently working on four different animal baby blankets, three video tutorials for stitches, and I’m creating c2c designs weekly. It's organized chaos!

My to-do list of patterns grows constantly because of the requests from my customers, and I love it. I have work planned for the next couple of years. And again, I wish I had more hours in the day to make them all.

I plan on creating more amigurumi patterns for my main YouTube channel, Crafting Happiness, and crochet-along videos of my C2C designs on my second channel, MagicYarnPixels. I am never out of inspiration and ideas.

Do you have any plans for more pattern books in the future?

I had so much fun writing “Amigurumi Loveys And Blankets” and I would love to write another book soon.

I often find myself thinking about what theme should my next book have. I would love to make more themed nursery items or gifts for baby showers, it’s my favorite thing to do, but I want it to be something that has not been done often.

Right now, I am taking a much-needed break from writing and see how the new book is doing. I am happy to see that, so far, the feedback has been great. But in the back of my head, I am already searching for topics for my next book.

Amigurumi Loveys & Blankets

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Amigurumi Loveys & Blankets: 16 Adorable Animal Projects to Crochet and Snuggle Author: Ariana Wimsett Amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed yarn pieces, is...… read more

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We hope you enjoyed this guest post with Ariana of Crafting Happiness, thank you and happy crocheting!